The hero shooter - one of the most popular games in the world right now - will be making the title free to play over this weekend in order to celebrate the launch of new character Wrecking Ball, and build hype for the grand finals for season one of the Overwatch League.

As per previous free weekends, this one will let players try out all 28 heroes released so far, and test them out on any of the 18 available maps added to the game so far.

Any progress made - so any lootboxes gained or any cosmetics added - will be carried over should players decide to purchase the full game.

The only downside: players will need a PS Plus and Xbox Live Gold account to access the free weekend.

Blizzard writes on the Overwatch website:

"For this free weekend, we're making Overwatch's full roster of 28 heroes—including Wrecking Ball—and 18 maps available for play in a variety of modes, including Quick Play, Custom Games, and the Arcade. Players will also be able to level up, earn Loot Boxes, and unlock a variety of different customization options for their heroes."

The free weekend will go live at 7pm BST on July 26 and run until midnight on July 30.

Hammond's Skins, Victory Poses & Golden Gun

Take a look at Hammond's Skins, Victory Poses and Golden Gun before the character comes to PS4 and Xbox One.

1 / 15

Blizzard has previously issued instructions to fans explaining how to access the free weekend client on their platform of choice:

PS4 Installation:

Turn on your PlayStation 4 and log in to your PlayStation™ Network account.

This free weekend comes as Blizzard added a new character to the roster earlier this week.

Wrecking Ball, or Hammond, is a new Tank hero with quad cannons and an adaptive shield.

“Wrecking Ball’s tinkering capabilities and iron-clad mech make him a formidable tank hero, capable of bowling through the front line of the opposition and causing mayhem in the back line," reads a Blizzard post.

“His primary weapon, Quad Cannons, are two sets of twin machine guns that shred enemies caught in their crosshairs.

“No team is too much for Wrecking Ball to engage against with his Adaptive Shield, which generates more health based on the number of enemies nearby.

“This shield makes him incredibly difficult to kill when he bulldozes into the fray and, once he starts to get low on health, also provides him the endurance to escape.”

You can read more about the hero - as well as tips on how to use him efficiently - at the link.